Back to earth

We walked into a time tunnel, except it was at the end of a up and down around over rocks, accross stream, up more hills, down dirty roads etc. We thought of our travel companions often and said... we are longing for the bathroom that had the water in the room. It was the most experience I have had in a long time. I am now going to get up every morning and say, you are not as young as you use to be... but then again if you don't verture on, there will be nothing to remember. We had a 20 yr old hill woman who spoke very good english and was very patient with our/my speed. I never get sore...but my legs have been pushed. The marithon walk was a walk in the park... nothing. She is married and when they give birth, they just squat in their room by themselves and 45 min later.. they cut the cord and just about go back to work. I thought going to the bathroom in the squat at 8 this am was difficault... If you know my body pattern.. you will get the drift. I have about 500 pictures of this end of the earth but I am in Sapa waiting for Lang's mother to put a colar on the coat I bought. The coat, belt and colar will be 500... or $30. Before we left the village we went to a hot spring and I never loved water so much. Needless to say the pack I carried was way too much.... I did wear my fleece but not my rain coat, hat, socks etc. I did not bring my suit so my shirt and my sleeping trunks were all I needed. We bought shampoo from a little store. Last night we had rice wine after dinner with the family. And what kept me going the last mile of the long hike from 9 in the morning until 6 at night was the thought of a cold Tiger. I would have liked a ride on the Tiger. Hill people are hill people and even up in the mountains there were sales . by something. We did buy something from the folks that helped me over the rocks. The woman, in plastic sandles, nursing a child and carrying her wears, held my hand and arm as jumped into and off of rocks. The view is hardly real to what we saw.

This woman is sweeping her steps. The trek is not for the weak or fait heart, but the end is worth it all and we have seen some things that are as old as anything I have seen re a way of life. Every part of life has a meaning... more tomorrow after our train ride. b